Sports Media Report
ESPN has promoted Nick Rud to the newly created role of Vice President, Sports Production for Diamond and College Olympic Sports. Rud will be responsible for the creative development and production oversight of multiple sports categories, including Diamond Sports (college softball, college baseball, girls’ little league softball and boys’ little league baseball) and College Olympic Sports (field hockey, men’s and women’s soccer, and wrestling).
Rud’s role in overseeing the overall content strategy for these properties includes ESPN’s annual presentation of marquee NCAA Championship events, including the Women’s and Men’s College World Series, and the Little League World Series tournaments in Williamsport, Pa.
“Nick is so deserving of this opportunity. He is a talented and experienced producer who has excelled at collaborating and innovating throughout his career,” said Meg Aronowitz, Senior Vice President, Production. “Nick will continue to elevate ESPN’s presentation of these important properties as we bring baseball, softball and many of our college Olympic sports under his leadership.”
“I am truly excited and honored to step into this role, which offers a tremendous opportunity to build on ESPN’s legacy of excellence while focusing on the growth and enhancement of our Diamond and Olympic sports coverage,” added Rud. “I look forward to collaborating with our exceptional production teams, talent, and external partners to elevate visibility, deepen storytelling, and create even stronger connections between fans and the sports and athletes that inspire us.”
Rud’s promotion represents a continuation of his leadership role on college softball and wrestling, as well as an expansion into other sports – all of which he’s contributed to at some point during his 21-year career with ESPN.
A coordinating producer since May 2022, Rud has overseen ESPN’s ever-expanding college softball and wrestling coverage, including the most-viewed Women’s College World Series in history. His creative vision has resulted in enhancements like the popular ‘Matcast’ and ‘7Innings Live’second-screen experiences. Rud was also part of ESPN’s college football production leadership team, which was honored with the 2025 Sports Emmy in the prestigious Live Series category.
A Maple Lake, Minn., native and proud Nebraska alum, Rud has steadily advanced throughout ESPN’s production ranks over the past two decades. Before his most recent promotion in 2022, Rud was a senior managing producer (2018-22) and event producer (2014-18). He originally joined ESPN as a production assistant in September 2004 and was elevated on multiple occasions – graphics manager, senior associate producer, etc. – before moving onto his producer roles.
